Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25738459›Full record

ArticleCell metabolism2015

The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance.

Changhan Lee, Jennifer Zeng, Brian G Drew, Tamer Sallam, Alejandro Martin-Montalvo, Junxiang Wan, Su-Jeong Kim, Hemal Mehta, Andrea L Hevener, Rafael de Cabo and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell metabolism, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 410 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
410citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
34.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

410 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 703 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. A Micropeptide Component of the OGDH Complex Modulates ATP Production in the TCA Cycle.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article

350 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Changhan LeeLeonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. Electronic address: changhan.lee@usc.edu.
Jennifer ZengLeonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Brian G DrewDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Tamer SallamDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Alejandro Martin-MontalvoTranslational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Junxiang WanLeonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Su-Jeong KimLeonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Hemal MehtaLeonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Andrea L HevenerDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
Rafael de CaboTranslational Gerontology Branch, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
Pinchas CohenLeonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. Electronic address: hassy@usc.edu.
University of Southern California · USUniversity of California, Los Angeles · USNational Institute on Aging · US

Funding

Transgenic & Knock-out MouseP30DK063491 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI PETER J TONTONOZ · 2003 to 2026
$40.4M
Southern California Clinical and Translational Science InstituteUL1TR000130 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI BUCHANAN, THOMAS A · 2012 to 2015
$36.0M
Novel Mitochondrially Encoded Peptides and Their Role in Health and DiseaseR01GM090311 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI COHEN, PINCHAS · 2009 to 2013
$3.2M
Plasma Mitochondrial Peptide Assays as Biomarkers of Environmental Toxin ExposureR01ES020812 · NIEHS · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI COHEN, PINCHAS · 2011 to 2015
$1.8M
A family of novel mitochondrially-encoded peptides and their role in agingR01AG034430 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA · PI COHEN, PINCHAS · 2009 to 2012
$1.2M
NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000130NIA NIH HHS 1R01AG 034430NIA NIH HHS R01 AG034430NIDDK NIH HHS NIH DK063491NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK063491NIEHS NIH HHS 1R01ES 020812NIEHS NIH HHS R01 ES020812NIGMS NIH HHS 1R01GM 090311NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM090311
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mitochondria are known to be functional organelles, but their role as a signaling unit is increasingly being appreciated. The identification of a short open reading frame (sORF) in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) that encodes a signaling peptide, humanin, suggests the possible existence of additional sORFs in the mtDNA. Here we report a sORF within the mitochondrial 12S rRNA encoding a 16-amino-acid peptide named MOTS-c (mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c) that regulates insulin sensitivity and metabolic homeostasis. Its primary target organ appears to be the skeletal muscle, and its cellular actions inhibit the folate cycle and its tethered de novo purine biosynthesis, leading to AMPK activation. MOTS-c treatment in mice prevented age-dependent and high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance, as well as diet-induced obesity. These results suggest that mitochondria may actively regulate metabolic homeostasis at the cellular and organismal level via peptides encoded within their genome.

Indexed as

AMP-Activated Protein KinasesAnimalsCell LineCell Line, TumorDiet, High-FatDNA, MitochondrialHEK293 CellsHeLa CellsHomeostasisHumansInsulinInsulin ResistanceMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, Inbred ICRAMP-Activated Protein KinasesDNA, MitochondrialInsulinPeptidespolypeptide C

Identifiers

PMID25738459
PMCPMC4350682
OpenAlexW2160343816

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.